Letters to the Editor 11/02/2022

The issues raised in the recent controversy over Outdoor School at Camp Tamarack near Sisters are fraught (see related story). They touch on profound matters of identity and personal values, and passions tend to run high. The Nugget welcomes letters to the editor on this matter. We ask that writers remember that everybody involved here is your neighbor. Strive to cast light rather than simply generating heat. Refrain from innuendo and name-calling, and engage in a community discourse that generates something positive.

Stand by Camp Tamarack

To the Editor:

I’m writing today to bring awareness to a recent situation at Camp Tamarack. A group of sixth-graders from the Culver School District were supposed to spend three days and two nights at their outdoor school. However, they left after only seven hours. Even though many were crying, chanting, “Let us stay,” and asked to do a vote, they were all removed anyway because parents were uncomfortable with their children being around nonbinary counselors, who are still children themselves.

As a member of the queer community myself, I am appalled by the behavior of this school district, and the hate now being thrown at Camp Tamarack. My own children have been spending a week there every summer the last few years, and will continue to do so in the future, and I’ve been so grateful for such an inclusive outdoor space in this community.

Let’s be real, Sisters is not always a welcoming place, and now it’s making headlines.

There are now Sisters parents asking the school district to cut ties with Camp Tamarack. To those parents I say, Look, if you don’t want your kids there, don’t send them. But don’t ruin it for those kids who might literally have no other inclusive space to be in their lives, including their own homes. I think you’re doing a disservice to your children by not exposing them to people who are different from them, but that is your right as a parent.

Those counselors are there because they love what they do, and they are comfortable and free to be who they are in that space, not to sexualize your children. Queer kids are not the enemy here, hate and discrimination are. Enough is enough.

I stand by Camp Tamarack and their counselors (who don’t have to share their gender identity with anyone thanks to protections under Oregon law), and I encourage other parents to join in. They are getting flooded with hate, so let’s flood them with love.

Mandee Seeley

January 6 hearings

To the Editor:

Did you watch the recent January 6 hearing of October 13? Hope you did. If not, please, read on.

In a few hours, we are given a summary of what transpired months before the election, during and after the election, and up through the day of January 6, 2021.

The committee and their staff have reviewed hundreds of thousands of documents, videos, call transcripts, and conducted hundreds of witness interviews.

Most witnesses are those who worked closely with past-President Trump, his internal and external advisers, his staff, his administration, his family, and are thus mostly Republicans.

You will hear their words, see their frustration and disappointment in the man they trusted, and through it all, learn the truth of a six-point plan to reject the election results if not a win of a second term for 45.

1. Advise the public that, if 45 loses, the election was rigged and align with the Proud Boys (PBs) and Oath Keepers (OKs), “Stand back and Stand by,” said 45.

2. Election night, take advantage of the red-wave* and immediately declare victory and request no more votes be counted.

3. After election night, contact elections officials to find more votes for 45.

4. Declare voter and election fraud and file suits (62 suits, some rejected for being “crazy,” many rejected for lack of material evidence; only one was credible and won but was of no impact on the election results in that state).

5. Ask VP to reject the Electoral College results and assure there are alternative results from key states by alternative electoral college vote counters and vying that, ask the U.S. legislators to reject the results and offer the alternative Electoral College counts from a couple of states.

6. From election night through January 6, repeat the lie to the people that the election was stolen and encourage them, including the OKs and PBs, to organize and come to Washington, D.C. on January 6 to save America. “Be there, will be wild!” tweeted 45.

All of this was done and is proven to have been done per this hearing, which includes details from previous hearings.

This is not about party politics. It is about a man elected to the highest office in this nation, the most powerful seat in the world, who was unwilling to accept the will of the people. Former President Trump was unwilling to honor his oath of office to protect the U.S. Constitution and to follow the law. Mr. Trump knowingly and repeatedly lied to tens of millions of people, in order to promulgate an insurrection. Mr. Trump was so intent on remaining in office, he cared not one iota about the possible cost in lives protecting the Capitol nor for the life of Vice President Pence. The past commander-in-chief sat and watched the insurrection on live TV in complete dereliction of duty.

Brave men and women are witnesses facing the facts and share the truth with you – the People. Our democratic republic is being restored by people who have come forward, and is being preserved by the nonpartisan House Investigative Committee’s commitment to seek the truth so that this will never happen again. Watch the October 13 hearing: https://youtu.be/IQvuBoLBuC0.

*Republicans tend to vote at polls, Democrats tend to vote by mail — this generally causes an initial influx of Republican votes on election night (a red-wave), while mailed-in ballots are collected and counted over time frames that vary in each state.

Susan Cobb

Metolius

To the Editor:

Your recent article, “Keeping an eye on the Metolius,” was an important update on the health of the river.

The Metolius River is one of Oregon’s natural treasures, loved by everyone from democrats to republicans, independents, and everyone else! One good news piece left out of the article was that Senator Wyden’s River Democracy Act would help protect a number of key tributaries to the Metolius River. The River Democracy Act would designate 4,700 miles of Wild & Scenic Rivers across the state, including in the Metolius watershed.

While that sounds like a lot of miles, it represents only four percent of Oregon waterways. Currently only two percent of Oregon’s waterways are designated. The four percent increase represents some of the most important, and some of the coolest (pun intended) waterways.

The Metolius River mainstem is already designated as a Wild & Scenic River. However, the key tributaries that greatly affect the overall health of the river and watershed are not equally protected. This legislation would change that by protecting tributaries like Candle Creek, Jack Creek, and Canyon Creek. Wild & Scenic River designations mean no new dams, no new mining, and no clear-cutting of mature and old-growth forests in the river corridors. Light-touch thinning where appropriate is allowed.

The bill doesn’t affect private lands, but does encourage conservation and restoration on included public lands. Firefighting would also continue. Unfortunately time is running out for this Congress to pass the River Democracy Act. I encourage Senator Wyden to pull out all the stops to pass the bill this year. Future generations will treasure the clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, and amazing recreational opportunities protected by this historic bill.

Erik Fernandez, Oregon Wild

Council election

To the Editor:

I am writing to urge Sisters residents to vote for Sarah McDougall for Sisters City Council.

I met Sarah while volunteering for the Sisters Cold Weather Shelter. Sarah started coming to shelter meetings in the summer of 2021 after showing up at a work party to clean out a supply closet we keep at the Habitat Restore. She was quiet, but asked questions and continued to show up for meetings. We worked together monitoring the shelter a couple of evenings over the winter. We served hot meals, cleaned up, and played games with the guests after dinner. Sarah also jumped in, sharing her technology skills to run our volunteer scheduling tool toward the end of the season.

This past summer, our shelter board was working on communicating with the City. Sarah did a great job putting together a letter for us that showed she had been listening and understood the nuances of what we were trying to accomplish. She is a good communicator and intuitively gets to the root of complex issues.

I ran into Sarah at last week’s Houseless in Sisters Forum at the firehouse. I didn’t see any other City Council candidates there. This is a critical topic for the City and Sarah has been showing up. I am grateful that she is willing to serve on City Council, offering her talents and positive perspective to help our town.

Vote Sarah Mcdougall for Sisters City Council.

Sharlene Weed

Sisters City Council Race

To the Editor:

I am writing in response to the Sisters City Council race. I rarely write letters regarding candidates. This year’s general election is important. Especially local races, for example the Sisters City Council.

I’m asking you to please consider not supporting and voting for Susan Cobb. A leader should listen to their constituents without interruption, take counsel when advised they are going down the wrong road, not dismiss citizens’ concerns, and not try to incorporate California policies in Oregon. I did not experience any of the above qualities while she was in leadership as president of our homeowners association.

This type of leadership delays and makes it difficult to get pertinent work done. We do not need this type of leadership in the Sisters City Council.

Laurie Kimmell

MSgt, USAF (Ret.)

Spiritual battle

To the Editor:

Thank you for printing the letter “Spiritual battle” from Jeff Mackey (The Nugget, October 26). In his Christian Nationalist rant, Mr. Mackey, perhaps inadvertently, laid out with stark clarity the extreme right-wing Trump Republican strategies.

To quote Mr. Mackey, “The list of who, what, and when is almost infinite in describing what I believe is an insatiable lust for power of the darkest kind. Maybe Lenin, acknowledged as pure evil, can summarize what is going on: “We must be ready to employ trickery, deceit, law-breaking, withholding and concealing truth…We can and must write in a language which sows among the masses hate, revulsion, and scorn toward those who disagree with us.”

There you have it, right-wing Republican strategy in a nutshell.

Based on Mr. Mackey’s descriptors, it is clear that I am on the opposite side of his “current spiritual battle.” I have never thought of myself as being on the dark side and “unknowingly possessed by Satan’s power over my mind.” Perhaps one day a light will shine on Mr. Mackey and he will view those of us so afflicted with more charity and humility.

Dennis Tower

Oregon’s COVID success

To the Editor:

I read with interest Carey Tosello’s endorsement of Christine Drazan (“Real change for Oregon,” The Nugget, October 26, page 2) and feel compelled to point out a serious misstatement regarding COVID, where he states that Oregon’s strict COVID restrictions did not work, when in fact they did.

Oregon’s death rate of 205 per 100,000 is one of the lowest. States that were more open paid for it dearly. Here are the death rates per 100,000 for some of these states: Arkansas 433; Oklahoma 431; Florida 383; Georgia 382; Texas 314; and Idaho 291. None of us liked the restrictions but they did save thousands of lives.

Jeff Spere

Thank you to the community

To the Editor:

On behalf of the Class of 2023 Senior Grad Night planning committee, I wanted to express our heartfelt gratitude to the community for all of your support with our Octoberfest fundraising event. Special thank-you to the countless hours our committee chair, Kellie Schaad, put into making this event happen and to all of the committee members who donated untold hours, energy, and resources. Thank you.

We also want to thank the generous Sisters community for all of your beautiful donations that made this even happen, and to our attendees for joining us and making our event a success.

Thank you, Sisters community, for helping us celebrate the class of 2023!

Kelly Davis Martin